


.::The War on Falling Stars::. Chapter 8 Purge

by Antigravity_Carnivore



Category: Breaking Benjamin (Band), Poets of the Fall, Project Vela (Band), STARSET (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Angst, Canon Gay Character, Emotional, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Inspired by Music, M/M, Music, Science, Science Fiction, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:47:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25284862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antigravity_Carnivore/pseuds/Antigravity_Carnivore
Summary: This chapter picks up directly after 7, at the hospital. Selene's confrontation with Burnley comes to a exploding end, while Lizzie is left alone with Ember torn between the girl she once knew and the monster she is becoming. Meanwhile back on Prox, Aurora finds help in a unexpected friend.
Relationships: Dustin Bates/Benjamin Burnley, Dustin Bates/Brock Richards, Marko Saaresto/Olli Tukiainen, Scott Spriggs/Travis Owen
Comments: 4
Kudos: 3





	.::The War on Falling Stars::. Chapter 8 Purge

Siobhan's eyes widened as she looked down the hall, to the imposing figure of Burnley holding Brock’s unconscious form in his arms. Her heart sank. “Oh my god, what happened to him? He was supposed to be waiting for me! Is he okay?” She asked, stepping forward to move closer to him.

“Siobhan, STOP!” Selene called out from where she was sitting on the floor, she lifted her head a little. “Stay right where you are. This isn’t what you think; that man holding Brock is dangerous.”

Burnley raised an eyebrow and cocked his head at Selene. “Am I?” There was a slight tone of amusement in his hushed voice.

Using the wall for support, Selene slowly pushed her way back up to her feet, ignoring Burnley and speaking directly to Marko. “Listen to me, you have to take Siobhan and get out. Go find security and bring them back here as fast as you can. There’s too much to explain, but every single minute counts. Please, just go, get help.”

“I am not going anywhere.” Siobhan snapped back at Selene, offended. “Marko, you can go if you want to, but I am staying right here. I am never leaving Brock’s side again. I want to know what happened to him.”

Selene sighed. “Siobhan, you don’t understand. Burnley isn’t with the hospital. He’s a deranged lunatic who attacked me and is trying to abduct Brock. He pulled all the life support machines off of him and is planning on taking him away. I don’t know why Brock’s in a coma, but I know for certain that if Burnley takes him out of here in this state, we won’t see either of them ever again.”

Siobhan’s face flushed white. She turned her attention to Burnley, and felt Marko move protectively closer to her. “Okay okay okay… let’s just take this one step at a time. So I get it that you’re not a friend or family, so can you just release Brock and go? I won’t press charges or anything like that, I just need him to be safe. He’s sick and needs treatment.” Down the hall, Selene shook her head and sighed.

“You’re right, I am not friend or family to Brock. I am something much, much closer.” Burnley purred. His eyes flashed as a wicked smile crept across his face.

Marko put his hand on Siobhan’s shoulder. “Something’s not right here. Come on, let’s do what Selene suggested and go get help. You can clearly see that this man isn't going to just hand Brock over. I have a really bad feeling about this.”

Pushing Marko’s hand off, Siobhan moved forward, walking past the injured and shocked Selene to stand right in front of Burnley. “I want you to put him down, now!” Locking her eyes onto his, she stood defiant, toe to toe with him. 

Much to everyone’s surprise, Burnley slowly bent down and lowered Brock’s body onto the cold, hard floor. Kneeling next to him, Burnley gently caressed Brock’s cold cheek. No one moved… at least not at first. Several anxious moments slipped by, and then as he started to rise, he began to speak quietly. “All you had to do was ask nicely.” Burnley smiled.

“Siobhan.” Selene yelled loudly down the hall. “Get away from him.” Noticing that she wasn’t listening, Selene shouted towards Marko. “GO! Find help, right now. Get her out of there.”

Watching Burnley intently, Siobhan waved a hand at Selene. “It’s fine, I’ve got this.”

It was at that exact moment when Burnley stood up to that Selene Bell chose to turn around and, despite all the pain in her ribs and chest, ran for the doors. Her feet carried her quickly down the hall before anyone could notice, and she stumbled clumsily into Marko. Catching her in his arms, he looked at her confused. Selene shook her head. “You can’t be here, come with me. I can help you find Ollie.”

“You know where he is?” Marko replied. “Did he get out safely?”

Before she could answer, there was a terrifying shriek at the opposite end of the hall. Siobhan was on her knees in front of Burnley, her broken arm extended over her head and held tightly in his hand, her small feet scrambling underneath, trying to support her.

“Oh fuck!” Selene swore.

“You were warned… too bad you didn’t listen.” Smiling down at Siobhan, Burnley started to close his hand around the plaster cast that was wrapped around the broken bones. Almost immediately, it started to crack, sending bits of plaster raining down onto the ground. Siobhan screamed louder as the broken bones which had been set in place earlier, started to shift and pop underneath the skin. Burnley smiled at her. “You’re new to this and don’t know all the rules yet, do you?” Reaching out, he picked up a few strands of her long blond hair and twirled it around his finger. “Let me educate you on some of the finer points…I call myself Burnley, and I am a God.” He leaned in slightly, close enough for her to feel his breath on her skin. “Gods can be very merciful, or very cruel. Now which of the two do you suppose I am?”

Hearing Siobhan’s anguished cries of pain, Selene wiggled free of Marko’s arms and pushed him away. Taking one look back at Burnley’s heartless torture down the corridor, Selene frowned. “I can’t. I am sorry, Marko, I know what he’s capable of… I can’t do this. I can’t watch him take another life. Not anymore. I am done. If you want to know where Ollie is, then come with me. I won’t wait around any longer, I am going.” Turning on her heel, she quickly pulled the exit door opened and disappeared from view, the tails of her white lab coat trailing out behind her. 

Marko watched the doors close and muttered under his breath. “What the hell is going on here? Selene? You can't just walk away like that… Where’s Ollie? Hey come back.” His words came too late. Confused and shaken, Marko was in turmoil, trying to decide if he should follow Selene, or stop this madman from hurting Siobhan.

Tears were streaming down Siobhan’s cheeks; her skin was ashen white from the pain. “Please, let me go. It hurts, so bad.” 

Burnley wiped her tears away with his fingertips. “I know it does, but doesn’t it feel so good? Exhilarating, actually. Don’t be afraid of the pain, let it consume you, flow through you, strengthen you.” He gripped her arm tighter, and as the last bits of the plaster fell off, there was the very audible sound of crunching bones. Siobhan shrieked as she lost feeling in her wrist and fingertips, causing her hand to go limp over Burnley’s. He leaned down to her. “I hope that you weren’t ever planning on recovering from that break. By the look of it now, I’d say the best bet for that wound is amputation. Tsk tsk tsk what a shame… but you can get by, you’re pretty and people like that… but I’d say that the chances of you ever playing music again are absolutely zero now.”

The pain in her hand gone now, replaced by a frightening numbness, Siobhan lowered her head and sobbed. The tears rolled down her face and splashed onto the floor near where Brock still lie unconscious. She wanted to slip free of Burnley’s grip and go lay down next to him, close her eyes and forget that all of this was happening. It was all so surreal, like a nightmare that she could not awaken from. Desperately wanting to stand up for herself and Brock, Siobhan tried to find the courage inside of her to fight, but there was nothing there. She felt weak and helpless, at the mercy of this stranger, and all she could do was cry. She hated herself for being so weak.“Please.” She whispered. “Let me go to him. Let me go to Brock.”

“Alright Burnley, or whatever you said your name was, I’ve seen enough. You don’t go around assaulting women like this. Let her go man.” Marko said, slowly walking down the hall, and rolling up his sleeves. He had seen enough to make up his mind.

Amused, Burnley set his eyes on the slowly approaching Marko, sizing him up. Marko wasn’t a particularly large man, but he was moderately well toned, and solid for his size. He might put up a decent fight, but with the Eden drug remaining in Burnley’s system, he would be no match for that kind of power and strength. Burnley was always up for a challenge, and ready for a fight, however time was working against him now, and he had to get Brock and leave, quickly, as the time for the portal to Prox remaining open was rapidly dwindling down. As Marko approached him, Burnley released his grip on Siobhan, and she immediately crawled her way to Brock and shook him vigorously by the shoulders.

“Brock, Brock, love… come on sweetie, you have to wake up now. Please. We’re in danger and must get out of here. I can’t carry you on my own. I need you to come back to me right now.” Siobhan held her shattered arm against her chest and kept shaking Brock as she tried not to cry. “Come on babe. Brock, I know you are in there, I love you so much, wake up… for me.”

Turning his attention away from Marko for a moment, Burnley looked down to where Siobhan was hunched over Brock. His face was flushed, and he narrowed his eyes at her. “What did you just say?” Siobhan looked up at him for just a second but remained silent. Burnley immediately knew. “Who are you?” He hissed at her.

“She’s Brock’s fiancée, you asshole!” Marko yelled, just as he pulled his arm back and threw a full fisted punch right to Burnley’s face. Distracted, Burnley tried to react and dodge, but it was too late. Marko’s knuckles collided with Burnley’s nose with great force, connecting with the cartilage in one single swift blow, breaking it and sending a spurt of blood shooting out and splattering all over his face. Burnley reeled back, moving away from Marko, clutching his nose in one hand with a shocked expression on his face.

Marko went to Siobhan and put a hand on her shoulder. “How is he?”

Shaking, Siobhan shook her head. “He’s not waking up. I think that Selene is right, we have to get him back to the main hospital, and soon. His pulse is so weak, I am afraid that we’re going to lose him.”

Flicking Burnley’s blood off his hand, Marko stood up and turned to him. “You’re not a real god, real gods don’t bleed. Now are you going to let us leave here with him, or are you going to do something stupid? I need to know, because I am the kind of guy who believes that men who hurt women are dicks and need to be punished.”

Using the back of his arm, Burnley wiped the blood away from his face. He stepped out of the corner that he had retreated from and stood near Marko in a threatening manner. Giving him a sinister stare, Burnley spit a mouthful of blood at Marko’s feet. “The last person who drew blood from me ended up with his flesh slowly flayed off his body, piece by piece, inch by agonizing inch. I enjoyed every single moment of his pain and, truthfully, I even got off on it.” Burnley reached out and touched Marko’s cheek, running two bloody fingers down the slope of his jawline. “I haven’t indulged myself like that in a long time, and I believe that I am way overdue. You have such an unusual accent, Marko. I wonder what language you will scream in when I start to cut away at your flesh.”

“You won’t ever get the chance, you sick bastard!” Marko shot back, moving swiftly and lunging for Burnley. This time, Burnley was ready for him. As Marko stretched forward, Burnley moved in, and used his forward momentum against him, kicking at his feet and knocking him off balance. The moment that Marko hit the floor, Burnley was on top of him, straddling him and sending a vicious assault of punches at his face. Marko, struggled against him, thrusting his hips up and succeeding in shoving the much larger man off him. Back on his feet in an instant, Marko got the drop on Burnley before he could rise, and grabbed him by the back of his neck, pulling him up to his feet. Caught in a difficult position with Marko behind him, squeezing the air out, Burnley staggered backwards and slammed Marko back against the wall. Momentarily dazed, Marko’s fingers loosened around Burnley’s throat, and Burnley used the opportunity to gather more strength and slam Marko against the hard tile wall, this time even harder.

Feeling his adversary start to weaken, Burnley smiled. The bright red blood from his broken nose trickling down his face gave him a sinister, almost crazed appearance. “I’ve been called a sick bastard before, but by much better people than you, you piece of shit! Now I am going to fucking rip you apart.” Burnley let Marko drop down to the ground, and just at that moment, the doors at the end of the hall opened again. His eyes went wide for a moment and then there was a loud pop which rang out loudly, echoing down the corridor, followed by a burning smell of smoke. Burnley took a deep breath and looked down to see a red stain forming underneath his leather jacket which started to drip down his chest. He stared off into the distance blankly for a few moments, as if he was trying to ascertain what had happened in the last few seconds. His brain refused to let him believe that he had been shot, but his body was ripe with a searing pain, screaming all through his upper torso, and he had no choice but to believe that he was in danger. He took a few steps over toward where Brock lie on the floor, and with a harsh shove, pushed a startled Siobhan out of the way. Dropping down on his knees, Burnley’s eyes locked onto Brock and a soft look crept over his tormented face. One single tear fell from his green gray eyes, as they focused on the man that he loved so dearly. Bringing his face near Brock’s, Burnley pressed his warm lips against him, giving him an unexpectedly sweet and tender kiss. Brock’s prone form began to go into spasms, shaking violently. Burnley leaned in and whispered something into his ear, and then he stopped, completely motionless. Taking a deep breath, Burnley felt his body surrender to the trauma that had just been inflicted upon it, and he could no longer support himself. His arms trembled and gave way, dropping him down onto the cold floor next to Brock. Lying on his back, Burnley reached out and took hold of his hand, lacing his blood-stained fingers together with Brock's. Looking up at the bright white incandescent lights overhead, Burnley’s gray green eyes focused on the intense white light for a moment, as his breath rattled painfully in his lungs. The doors at the end of the hall clattered shut behind Selene Bell, who finally lowered the smoking gun that she had just shot Burnley with, as his pupils dilated, his jaw fell open and he stopped moving.

Siobhan scurried over to Marko, who hadn’t stirred a bit since Burnley threw him down to the floor. Grabbing his wrist, she felt for a pulse and let out a sigh of relief. Selene remained near the doors, still staring at the motionless body of the man that she had just murdered. “Marko… is he?” She whispered.

“I think he’s okay, just unconscious. Burnley hit him pretty hard. “We should get help, for him and Brock right away.”

“He didn’t know about you.” Selene said quietly.

Siobhan looked up. “What?”

“Burnley. He was shocked when you said that you loved Brock, and lost his composure when Marko said that you were his fiancée… He didn’t know who you were. When he was ranting to me earlier, he said that he saw everything when the Shepherd imprisoned him on Prox… but you were a surprise to him. Which means that he isn’t completely sentient, there are things that he doesn’t know about us. Maybe the Shepherd is still watching over us somehow.” Looking down at the gun in her hand, Selene noticed that she was shaking. “It's kinda funny...As a doctor, I took an oath to harm none. I fight to save lives...I’ve… never killed anyone before.” Her gaze once again went to where Burnley fell, a rapidly forming pool of blood slowly growing around him. She suddenly went defensive. “I had to do it. He’s the worst monster ever. The things he did in the past, they were horrifying. He’s killed and tortured hundreds of people, some of which were my friends. I had to do it. I had to bring an end to this.”

Siobhan rose to her feet and clutched her shattered arm to her chest. There was no pain from it, only this numb, dead sensation which she wasn’t concerned with. Her career as a violinist was over, but Brock was safe, his abductor dead, and that was the most important thing. Walking over to Selene, she gently rested a hand on her arm. “Hey, listen to me, no one is blaming you for what you did. You did the right thing here. That man, Burnley… I have no clue who he is, or why he wanted Brock so badly, but I do know that if you hadn’t shown up when you did, we would all be dead. Please don’t feel bad about taking a life, because his was worthless.”

“They were lovers, on Prox.” Selene said abruptly blurting it out. “Brock fell in love with someone who didn’t love him back, and ended up with Burnley because he wanted to feel loved and needed. I think that he thought maybe he could fix Burnley, make him less vicious. Because that is what Brock does. He’s so kindhearted and caring, always wanting to see past people’s faults and make them better. I have never known him to give up on anyone, except for Dustin. Dustin took something away from Brock that couldn’t be replaced.” Selene sighed. “In the end, it didn’t work out for Brock and Burnley and they sacrificed themselves for one another. I wish I didn’t know about any of this… but now that I do, I don’t see how things can go back to normal.”

“Why are you telling me this now, Selene?” Siobhan pointed to Marko and Brock. “We’ve got to go get them help, right now.”

Selene looked right directly at Siobhan; her brown eyes locked on to her with such intensity that she was a little frightened. “Because I don’t think that one of us is going to make it out of here, and you needed to know the truth, to protect yourself.”

Blinking, Siobhan started to feel a little nervous. “Um… okay, Selene, how about after we get the guys into intensive care, we get someone to take a look at you too? I am worried about you now and…” She stopped, seeing movement down the hall out of the corner of her eye, Burnley was slowly rising to his feet. “Selene! Oh god, Selene he's not dead! Where's the gun?” Down at the other end of the hall, Burnley started to laugh. “Shoot him!” Siobhan screamed.

Fumbling awkwardly with the gun, Selene brought it up and started to pull back on the trigger, when she saw Burnley wave his arm in front of him, and then there was a loud boom.

Siobhan screamed as her body was yanked in the air away from Selene. She could feel the wind rushing past her as she flew backwards out of the hallway. The few seconds that she was airborne were followed by a great amount of shattered glass and chunks of concrete which came tumbling down around her when her small frame hit the ground and skidded in the dirt outside of the hospital. Her body went limp for a moment, and she struggled to get breath back into her lungs and figure out what had just happened. The sun was starting to set on the horizon, slipping down past the mountains and trees, disappearing from view as she slowly sat up. Everything was strangely quiet, except for the clatter of stones and bricks falling. Her eyes went immediately to the massive amount of destruction in front of her. The side walls of the hospital corridor had crumpled and were laying in pieces around her. She moved slightly and noticed that she was sitting in a pile of broken glass, her arms and legs cut too many times to count. Her clothes were covered in dirt and debris, and there was a taste of blood in her mouth. It looked like a bomb went off in the hospital and she had been caught in the middle of it. All the walls were gone, exploded into a thousand pieces of rubble all around her. Reaching up to her head, she felt something warm and sticky on her fingertips and shuddered.

Alarms were going off everywhere, sending searing bolts of pain through her brain as she struggled to her feet. People were running around, shouting and yelling, but Siobhan didn’t care. She had to go find Brock. Carefully picking her way through the mess, she tried to figure out which part of the hallway he had been in, but there was nothing, but rubble and glass left. As hard as she looked, she couldn’t find anything. Several people came over to her, hearing the blast and were trying to help her, but she kept pushing them all away. She had to find him. He was in there somewhere and he needed her. Taking a few more steps, Siobhan saw something sticking out from underneath what used to be one of the walls which had toppled over. It was a arm. Letting out a cry, Siobhan rushed over and fell to the ground, cutting her legs up even more and pushed at the giant piece of concrete, her heart beating loudly and furiously in her chest. It wouldn’t budge. Taking a deep breath, she tried to push it again, and again, but it didn’t work. Sitting back, Siobhan let out a loud cry of rage, pain and anguish and soon the people that she pushed away were at her side, helping to lift the piece of wall off the unfortunate person trapped underneath. The moment that it was moved, Siobhan fell apart. Lying motionless in front of her was Selene Bell. “No... no...” She whimpered.

The hospital staff surrounded her and gently lifted Siobhan to her feet. Someone wrapped a blanket around her and tried to lead her away from the site, but she ignored them and started walking away again. Behind her, she heard the commotion as the paramedics pulled Selene out and whisked her away into the hospital. Siobhan could only hope that Brock was still alive. Making her way through the debris, one inch at a time, she moved on. She was so tired now, exhausted beyond belief, but she knew she had to keep going, she needed to find Brock. Her eyes tear filled and burning, she continued to search, until she reached the middle of the rubble. Suddenly she stopped and stood still where she was, her feet refused to move. Looking up, she now found herself staring right into the cruel gray green eyes of Burnley, who was holding Brock’s naked body underneath one of his arms like one would hold a sack of laundry. He had removed the leather jacket he was wearing, leaving his chest exposed, revealing the still bleeding entrance wound of where Selene’s bullet had struck him just above the heart. “Surprised to see me still alive?” He asked.

“How did you do this? ” Siobhan asked. Her voice seemed very small and quiet.

A breeze blew in, swirling dust and dirt around them. Burnley smiled. “Quite spectacular isn't it? This is just a small sample of what the Shepherd's power can do. I drew it out of Brock; I knew it was there, and into myself sending a wave of energy through the corridor, with just a wave of my hand.” He stopped and looked around at the mass devastation and destruction all around. “Magnificent, isn't it? And that's just a very small minuscule amount, siphoned off with a kiss. Imagine what can be done when I extract all of it, through other means. Imagine the power resting inside of Brock?”

Siobhan clenched her good hand into a fist. “I won't let you take him. Brock and I... we are going to be married! He is going to be my husband.”

“I don't think so.” Burnley mocked. “Brock belongs to me, every part of him I possess. Your life with him is at an end now, and I'd say that I am grateful for you for caring for him for so long, but that would all be a lie, I am grateful to no one.” Burnley looked straight at Siobhan, or rather, straight through her as he was speaking. A chill went down her spine, seeing the coldness in his glassy eyes. “I was there when he was ready to take his own life. I stood by him and brought him back from despair when everyone he knew and trusted betrayed him. At the end of the world, he chose to be with me, and that is where he will be once again. You... are nothing, you pathetic cunt.”

“I'll stop you.” Siobhan glared at Burnley. She was faintly aware of the crowd that had now gathered behind her, watching the confrontation. “I can't physically take you down, but I'll scream, and they will all come running to help me. They won't let you leave.”

Burnley laughed. “Are you blind? Don't you see the wreckage around you? I did this with a wave of my hand, and I can do it again.” He gestured to the emergency crew that had called in reinforcements to help. “There must be at least one hundred people out here now, innocent people... are you certain that you want their blood spilled because you want your boyfriend back? You can be certain that I won’t just do it mercifully either… I’ll make sure that each one of these people die a slow and horrifying death. Their screams will flood your ears and echo in your brain every night. When you close your eyes, you will see them all die right in front of you, pleading, begging to be saved. How many innocent lives will be lost, all because you refuse to let me take what is mine and leave this place? Think on it Siobhan. One life... for hundreds. All on you. All on your conscience.” The wind picked up now, blowing tendrils of blond hair into her face. Siobhan's shoulders slumped and she lowered her head. Burnley smirked. He knew that he had won. Deep inside, he could feel the Shepherd’s power that he had stolen start to wane, and the pain in his chest begin to spread. Brock’s body was becoming uncomfortably heavy; he knew that he wouldn’t be able to carry him much longer. He had to get back to Prox and the Eden drug. Lifting his head high and walking confidently, he moved toward the mentally defeated Siobhan, pausing to stop and whisper into her ear. “They weren't nightmares that Brock was having, they were dreams of me, and in every single one of them, he begged me for more.” A tear ran down Siobhan's cheek, as Burnley pulled away from her. She could hear people yelling to him, but she knew that he wouldn't stop. He just kept going, walking past all the emergency workers, into the night, taking Brock away. 

Lizzie clutched Tristan to her chest, as the barrel of Ember's gun pushed painfully into the back of her head. “Ember. Why are you doing this? Tristan is my son. You know this! What’s wrong with you?”

“You can’t have him. My father wants him to return to Prox with us. The prototype Everything machine can’t keep the portal home open much longer, so I have to make sure that everything is ready for when he gets here. If you won’t let me have Tristan, then I will have to take him from you.” Ember said in a harsh, commanding tone.

In Lizzie’s arms little Tristan started to cry, startled by Ember's outburst. She gently rocked him back and forth. “Hush sweetie, it will be alright, you aren’t going anywhere, you are staying right here with me.” Lizzie slowly turned around and pushed Ember’s gun down. Surprisingly, she didn’t fight back. “Okay, let’s take this one step at a time. Tell me why Scott wants to take Tristan to this Prox place.”

A look of confusion fell over Ember’s face. “I don’t know who Scott is. My father’s name is Burnley, and we have to go back home, to Prox.” Turning away from Lizzie and Tristan, Ember shoved the gun back into her pocket and walked across the room to where an array of computers were sitting in stand by mode, in front of a large empty space. Flicking a series of switches on a control panel, the monitors slowly came back online, illuminating the room in a eerie blue glow. A dull whirring noise took away the unnatural silence of the room.

Lizzie took Tristan’s hand and walked him across the room, to stare at the empty spot where now there were small blue sparks of electricity starting to form in the air, which looked like glowing fireflies. “This is… the Everything machine?” She asked, watching the light show in awe.

Ember sat down at the console and started typing in numbers. “No, not exactly. It’s just a receiver. The Everything machine is on Prox, where we are from. Father found blueprints and scraps left behind by the people that used to live there and managed to recreate it, but it’s not quite the same as the original. It can’t duplicate things, or change their form because we don’t have the resources and fuel to support that kind of operation… we almost gave up on it, but father found out that there was another use for it, it could be used to open ‘portals’ to other worlds, providing you have the right receiver set up.”

Tristan wiggled free of Lizzie’s grasp and went over to sit next to Ember. He whirled around in the chair next to her as Lizzie gazed on in wonder at the growing light surrounding her. “So they would have to work together, the person who built the Everything machine and the person on the other end with the receiver? How could this be possible?”

“Father said that he had been sending codes and messages out to random locations, to see if someone would pick them up. No one did, except for the guy who had this lab. Once he became interested in this ‘alien tech’ it wasn’t long before he was able to convince him to build this.” Ember sat forward and rested her elbows on the console in front of her. The light from the monitors lit up her face, revealing a slightly annoyed look. “When father found out that this place was on Earth, he started working on the Everything machine day and night. It kind of became an obsession with him. He told me that there was something here that he needed to retrieve, and it was very important to him. He’d often go for days on end without sleeping just to get the damn thing up and running as soon as possible. When it was finished, he told the guy that built this part that he would allow him to come to Prox. The man was so excited too, but father warned him that if he told anyone about it, that they would come and take the receiver away, and he would never get to see another planet.”

“So that’s what Dr.Bell was hiding.” Lizzie said underneath her breath. “The big secret no one could know about.” She looked over to Ember, who was nervously glancing at a timer device strapped to her wrist. “Ember… the man who build this… Dr. Bell… do you know what happened to him?”

Rising up out of her seat, Ember started pacing. She was getting anxious now. “He died.”

Lizzie took a breath. She knew that prying for answers was dangerous. Ember was so off the chart with her emotions, she wasn’t sure which way it would go, but decided to push her a little more. She was waiting for something, and Lizzie wanted to know who or what it was. “I know he died, but do you know how?”

“When we arrived here, Dr. Bell was very excited to see us. He kept asking so many questions. I could tell that father was getting really upset with him.” Ember looked away from Lizzie and towards the blue light on the platform. “There was an argument between the two of them. The machine was still running, receiving power from Prox, and he…tripped and fell into the beam. His body absorbed most of the power…and he dropped down, kinda like someone just shut him off.” Ember snapped her fingers. “Just like that. Father went to check on him and said that the overload caused his heart to stop. There was nothing he could do for him. We had to leave him and get on with what we came here to do, but we had to be quick about it, because of the ‘accident’ the receiver malfunctioned, and we are only able to keep the portal open for a short time. Father said that when we return to Prox, we probably won’t be able to come back here, because there aren’t enough resources to do it again. It’s a ‘one and done’ kind of thing.” Ember drew in a long breath, pushing a stray piece of hair that came loose from her braid away from her face. “I want to go home. I hate it here.”

Leaving the platform, Lizzie walked over to Ember and stood next to her, leaning against the console. She glanced briefly over to Tristan, who was resting his head on the desk and had fallen asleep. “Ember… I don’t know what happened to you on Prox, or how this Burnley person took over the role of your father, but it’s not right. You were born here on Earth and your real father’s name is Scott. He loves you with all his heart, and went looking for you for a very long time. Whatever Burnley is telling you, it’s all lies.”

“How can you be so certain that he’s lying to me?” Ember asked curiously.

Lizzie could see that it was a honest question, with no hate or malice. Doubt was now clouding Ember’s mind, which had to be handled very carefully, and with nothing but truth and honesty. “I know Burnley, or… I did know him… it’s hard to explain. Every time I try to remember, my head hurts and everything becomes muddled. I can tell you that that name… is connected to some terrible things. He’s hurt a lot of people in the past… even me. If you go back to Prox with him, he’s going to use you, just like he’s used everyone else.” Lizzie took hold of Ember’s hands. “You don’t need to go back there. You have a family here on Earth, I can take you to them. Scott will be over the moon when he sees what a beautiful young lady you’ve become, and if you don’t want to talk about what happened, then you can just tell him that. He’s such a warm, caring man, and having you back is all that he wants. So what do you say? Can we leave right now? Selene’s house isn’t far away, the three of us can make it there in less than 10 minutes. We will take the car in the garage, and drive without looking back.” Lizzie glanced over to where Thomas had been brutally murdered. “There are things here that I want to forget as well. This is a new chance for both of us to start over again.”

Ember shook her head. “I can't leave Burnley…. Er… Father.”

Behind Lizzie, Tristan stirred slightly in his sleep. “Yes, you can. I know you’re stronger than this.”

Pulling her hands away abruptly, Ember scowled. “No I can’t!”

Lizzie took a step forward, irritated. “Why not? Tell me what is keeping you from living your own life and being free of someone who has been lying to you all this time?”

“Because I love him!” Ember shouted. A red flush of color saturated her cheeks and she turned away, embarrassed.

It wasn’t necessary for Ember to say another word. By the tone in her voice and the look on her face, Lizzie knew exactly what the young girl was talking about. The thought of it sickened her and left a bad taste in her mouth. Lizzie still struggled with her memories, the feeling that he hurt her badly still lingered there, but she wasn’t quite sure how or why. The moment that Ember said the name Burnley, all of Lizzie’s nerves were on edge, and she felt incredibly uncomfortable. Now she knew who she was waiting for, and more than ever, it was very important that they leave the lab as soon as possible. Rushing over, Lizzie grabbed Tristan, waking him from his nap and slung him over her hip. The little boy didn’t cry out, or complain, but instead curled up tightly against his mother’s chest and closed his eyes. Inching her way over to where Ember stood sulking, Lizzie moved in silently, stretching her arm out as far as she could. Distracted, Ember didn’t even notice Lizzie attempt to pull the weapon out of her pocket. Feeling the motion on her hip, she whirled around and caught her in mid reach, slamming her hand down on the handle of the weapon, stopping her from getting a hold on it. She looked to Lizzie, shocked. “Hey! What do you think you’re doing?”

Across the room, the door suddenly burst open and Burnley stumbled inside, dragging the comatose Brock behind him. Forgetting about Lizzie for a moment, Ember ran over to them, just as Burnley shoved Brock inside and then collapsed on the floor next to him. He was coughing profusely, blood splattering over his lips. Looking down, at her father and his wound, Ember gasped in horror. The bullet which had hit him in his chest was only a fraction of an inch above his heart, and nicked a artery. Every time that his heart beat, it pumped blood out of the wound at a alarming rate. His skin was ashen white and he was barely breathing. Ember leaned down and put her hand over the cavernous hole in his chest, trying to stop the bleeding but it just kept coming, flowing out from between her small fingers. He was dying. “Father… what do I do? How can I help you?”

Slowly, Burnley opened his eyes. He slid one of his hands over Ember’s. Her face was filled with worry. “Get… Brock.. to Prox… go now… before the portal closes…”

All the training that Burnley had given Ember to be strong and not show emotions, even in the worst situations slipped away now, leaving a frightened little girl behind. The thought of living without him was now suddenly very real, and it scared her more than anything. “No! I am not leaving you here to die, Father. I’ll find a way to save you. Maybe we can get you back to the hospital.”

Burnley squeezed her hand. “Em… Do this… for me… take him.. go…Prox. Take... Brock to.. Prox...” His breathing became shallower, and his eyes closed as his body went into shock. He was only a few steps away from dying now.

Throwing herself on top of him, Ember started sobbing. The front of her shirt and hair were stained red with his blood. “I can’t. I won’t go. Fuck Brock. I’ll stay here and die with you.”

The sound of books falling off a shelf caught Ember’s attention and she looked up to see Lizzie and Tristan trying to sneak out the door. In their efforts, Lizzie had gotten too close to a desk and accidentally knocked a few books off, causing them to produce a loud thud when they hit the floor. Ember was back up immediately and onto her feet. She pulled the gun out and walked over to Lizzie and Tristan, smearing Burnley’s blood all over her face in a attempt to clean it off. Ember waved the weapon at them. “Help him.” Lizzie shook her head no, and Ember cocked the gun and pointed it at Tristan. “I said, help him!” There was a cruel, ruthless look in her eyes that convinced Lizzie that she was deadly serious.

“Okay. I’ll see what I can do. Calm down. I am a nurse, I can take care of him, please don’t point that gun at my son’s head and I will help you.” Gently, Lizzie lowered Tristan to down to the floor and Ember lunged forward and grabbed the little boy by his hair., yanking him back to her.

“Move it. We only have 5 minutes left now before the portal closes, so I’d suggest you make it quick.”

Seeing her son in danger angered Lizzie, and she wanted nothing more than to lash out at Ember, and take her down, but she was afraid that things might go horribly wrong, and she wasn’t going to put him in any more danger than he already was. She would play along for now and wait for the proper moment to make her move, even if part of it meant that she had to save Burnley’s life. Glancing around the room, Lizzie spotted a first aid kit and ran over, ripping it from the wall. The intense blue light had become stronger now, and there was a loud whirring noise as the computers all started the sequence of events that would open the portal to Prox. Moving to Burnley’s side, Lizzie pushed his bloody hand away from the wound and quickly assessed the damage. Whomever had shot him was good with their aim, but not perfect. An inch more and he would have died instantly. The bullet had strayed from it’s path and hit him above the heart, which for a normal person would have meant only a few more minutes of life left, but for some odd reason, this man was still alive, even with the massive amount of blood loss. Gingerly touching the skin around the wound, Lizzie pushed down, feeling the layers of skin and muscle underneath, and frowned. Across the room, Ember called out. “What is it? What’s wrong?” Ignoring her, Lizzie grabbed hold of Burnley’s massive shoulder and slightly rolled him onto his side. His entire torso was covered in blood, but what bothered her most was the fact that the bullet had not gone through him. It was still lodged deep within his chest, and was more than likely the reason why he was still bleeding. Digging through the kit, Lizzie pulled out the small roll of gauze and sighed. It wasn’t enough to temporarily stop the flow of blood. Moving the band aids, first aid cream, and cold packs aside, she found what she was looking for, a very sharp pair of scissors. Grabbing the hem of her dress, Lizzie poked the scissors through the cotton material and cut off several long strips, shoving them into the wound. The first few pieces became saturated with blood immediately, but by adding more, she managed to get it under control. Breathing a sigh of relief, Lizzie wrapped the small roll of gauze around Burnley’s chest. A bit of color started to return to his skin. Wiping the sweat off her forehead, Lizzie looked back over to Ember.

“He’s stable, but only for a short time. That bullet needs to come out, or else he’s going to die for sure. Tell me what you are going to do here Ember.” Lizzie watched as Ember walked Tristan over to the raised pedestal. “Ember… what are you doing?” Ember bent down and whispered something into Tristan’s ear, and his face lit up with excitement. She gestured toward the blue glowing light. Lizzie stood up, her fingers tightened around the pair of scissors. “No. Tristan, no. Come to mommy… please!” The whirring sound had become so loud that the little boy couldn’t hear her. He was fascinated and entranced by the blue swirl of color. Ember said something to him again and he nodded and turned toward Lizzie, waving to her, then took a step forward into the portal and disappeared. Lizzie screamed. “NO! Tristan!!! Ember, what have you done?”

Ember walked back over to Lizzie, pointing the gun at her. “Stop being so dramatic. He’s fine. I sent him to Prox, and if you ever want to see him again, then you will help me with Burnley. He’s too heavy, I can’t carry him on my own. Once we’re through the portal, and back home, you can use our medical wing to take the bullet out and save his life. Then I will give you your son back, and you can do whatever you want from there. I only want Burnley to live.”

Lizzie shouted over the loud noise. “So it’s Burnley now? I thought that he was your father? Are you so screwed up in the head that you can’t distinguish between the two now? That’s not how it works Ember, you need psychological help… and what about Brock? Are you just going to leave him here too? Didn’t Burnley say that was the entire reason for you coming to Earth? To bring Brock back home?”

With a deadly serious look on her face, Ember pulled the trigger of the gun, sending a bullet whizzing right by Lizzie’s face. She could feel the rush of air as it grazed her cheek. One single drop of blood flowed down, mixing with her tears. Ember screamed. “STOP WITH THE FUCKING QUESTIONS. I AM THE ONE GIVING ORDERS NOW, AND IF YOU DON’T LISTEN TO ME, I’LL KILL YOU AND LEAVE YOUR SON TO ROT ON PROX!”

Terrified, Lizzie nodded slowly, and bent down near Burnley. The feeling of hate she had for the man was almost overwhelming, but right now, he was nothing more than a man, bleeding out and dying right before her eyes. Whatever she felt for him, whatever memories were locked away in her brain had to remain there for the time being so that she could do what was asked of her to save her son. It all boiled down to being a matter of respect for life and human compassion. She glanced over to Brock, who was still unconscious. His eyes were closed and his breathing seemed normal, almost as if he were just peacefully sleeping now. When Ember wasn’t looking, Lizzie slipped the pair of medical scissors into her boot. They would be her only form of protection now. The alarm on Ember’s wrist device suddenly started beeping loudly, displaying a time of 30 seconds remaining. Hurrying over, she positioned herself on one side of Burnley, while Lizzie took the other. Slowly, the two women carried him by the shoulders over to the portal, leaving a bright red stain on the floor behind them. One step away from Prox, Lizzie looked back at the lab. It felt so bittersweet to be leaving everything, but she had no choice now. Thomas was gone, Tristan was on Prox, there was nothing for her on Earth anymore. She vowed to see to it that Ember would pay for terrorizing her son, and more importantly, she would be the one to kill Burnley.

The sandstorm on Prox had been raging for days. It had come unexpectedly, with only a few minor bursts of wind from time to time, but eventually it picked up and intensified, sending large amounts of surface sand into the air and making it difficult to breathe. The thin scarf which Aurora had tied around her face offered almost no protection from the elements, and she found herself stopping several times to take it off and shake the dust out of it. She had been walking for days now, the storm throwing off her compass and sending her in the wrong direction. Her water supply was alarmingly low now, and she was painfully aware that she only had enough left for one or two more days if she remained out in the open.

Tired and in desperate need to rest, Aurora climbed to the top of a large, rocky crag and pulled out her binoculars, trying to find someplace to take shelter in. Scouring the horizon, all she could see for miles in any direction were mountains of sand, and a few scattered boulders which littered the otherwise barren landscape. What was supposed to only be a few hour walk from the crash site, was turning out to be a fight for her life, and it was one that she was quickly losing. What frightened her the most was that there were absolutely no traces of Carnivores out this far in the wasteland. Which meant that they were either really skilled at camouflaging themselves, or they weren't stupid enough to come out this far. Sighing to herself, Aurora looked up at the sun and saw nothing there but a big ball of faintly glowing orange color off in the distance. The storm was so intense that it even muted the sunlight and extinguished the stars every night. A few days ago, Aurora considered retracing her steps and going back to the rubble of the ship. It would be a journey back, and she would miss her rendezvous time, but at least she would be safe. She stared at her own footprints in the sand for a long time, weighing her options carefully. She had left a lot behind her, including New West and Dustin. New West meant a lot to her, she had been groomed and taught by the best instructors there to become part of the corporation and make the best decisions for them, they were her family and she would never think of turning her back on them. Or at least that's how she thought it would go. Her entire world got turned upside down when she received a anonymous encrypted email that sparked her curiosity. Never the one to back down from challenges, she spent several days decoding it, and when she did, Aurora discovered one of New West's biggest secrets which they had been keeping from everyone for a very long time. After that, nothing was the same. Every day when she woke up and got ready to go downstairs to her job and perform her daily duties, this information was in the back of her head, slowly eating away at her, making her reconsider every decision that she made. It wasn't long after that when she met Dustin Bates. 

“Ah fuck it.” Aurora mumbled to herself and took a leap off the crag. Her tan boots kicked up even more layers of sand as they hit the ground, and she quickly wound her scarf around her face again to keep from breathing it in. “I'll keep walking until it kills me I guess.” Grumbling, she continued her journey well into the night time hours. Around dawn, the storm started to subside a bit, and she took a break to finish off the last of the water. Only a few drops remained, and it did little to quench her thirst. Tossing the empty canister into the sand, she started to walk again. Forward she went, out into the great unknown, pushing her body to the brink of exhaustion and trudging through the sand. Each footstep became heavier and heavier as the sun started to rise in the sky once again with a new day. Nearly ready to give up, she took off her backpack and threw it down, then removed the long flowing coat that she was wearing, along with her scarf and goggles. With a little less weight bogging her down, she found the strength to walk a little further. Her lips were cracked and bleeding now, her skin burned and dried out from the constant assault of sand hitting it, but still, she pressed on. As she walked, she thought more about the Shepherd of the Damned and the things that Dustin had told her about him. The feeling she had when he 'died' was completely overwhelming and indescribable. The only thing she could compare it to was like getting hit with a bolt of lightning. The feeling hit her all at once and traveled through her entire body, setting every single nerve on fire. She felt every emotion all at once, love, hate, joy, tenderness, fear, horror, terror... it was all there, pouring into her like she was a empty vessel. For a moment, she understood her place in the world, and felt as though she had the strength and the willpower to do anything that she wanted. She was a omnipotent being that could give life with a gentle touch, or take it away with the snap of her fingers. It was pure, unadulterated power. Then as quickly as it came, it left, leaving her feeling naked and exposed to the world again. Had the Shepherd of the Damned truly died? And if he did, what was the connection that he had with her? There had to be something to it.

Aurora stopped walking and slumped down to the ground. She was done. Her one single act of defiance against New West had gone horribly wrong, and now the desert was taking her life as payment. Sitting on the burning hot sand, Aurora pulled her long white hair out of the messy bun she had it tied up in and let it flow down around her shoulders. She wanted to be comfortable as she died. Reclining back in the sand, she stared up at the monotone sky. “If you really are a Shepherd, then help me please, guide me in the direction that I need to go before I die out here. I really don't want the Carnivores to pick at my bones.” Closing her eyes, Aurora focused on the sound of the wind whistling though the bits of broken rocks around her. It was almost like a lullaby lulling her to sleep. Louder and louder it became, whirling around her, blowing sand over her chest and legs, giving her a desert burial. Too tired to move, she gave into it and waited for death.

“Aurora.” Someone was calling her name, she was certain of it. “Aurora” it repeated and she sat up. It was night fall, she had slept all day. The storm was now over, and the chilly desert air had cooled everything down. Shivering a bit from the coldness, she glanced around and saw a man, or what looked like a man standing far off on the horizon. He was calling to her, she could hear his voice louder than her own. Not caring if it was an illusion or not, she was on her feet in an instant, sprinting across the sand as fast as her feet could carry her. Her heart raced in her chest as she made her way over the wasteland and towards the dark shape. Only a few feet away from him, the voice calling her stopped, but something else was drawing her in. Standing in front of the man, she looked up into his eyes, they were this beautiful shade of gray green that completely mesmerized her. “Who are you?” She asked quietly.

“You asked for a guide.” The man replied. His voice was soft and soothing.

There was something strange about him, his presence felt ominous. Aurora knew she was hallucinating. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. There was a nasty smell of burning fuel and charcoal. It invaded her nose and filled her mouth with the most awful taste. Opening her eyes back up, she saw that she was now standing right in the exact place that she had started in. She was in front of the wreckage of the ship that she and Dustin had crashed in. “No. Goddamn it. I don't want to be here. Why did you bring me back here?” Fuming, Aurora kicked at a few pieces of metal that were laying scattered about and noticed that there was a large amount of blood on the sand. “Dustin.” She whispered. Making her way through the wreckage, she found the door to the passenger hold and ducked inside. She stopped and looked at the empty seats in front of her. “He made it out.” There was nothing more than a blank expression on her face.

With no food or water, Aurora could do nothing but sit and wait again. She moved back outside. Since the storm had passed, the sky was clear now and she wanted to see the stars twinkling in the night sky. She sat down with her back up against the rubble and listened to the sound of Carnivores off in the distance, coming out to hunt for the night, and wondered if their last meal was a man that loved her. In desperation, Aurora called out to the Shepherd again, but there was no answer this time. This was all the proof that she needed to be sure that he really wasn't there. The vision of the man with the gray green eyes was all just in her head. Because of the heat and dehydration, she was losing her mind. A wave of tiredness overcame her and her head lulled down. She started to shake and her skin went cold. The heat stroke hit her hard, and this time she didn't bother fighting it.

Hours later, Aurora awoke in a bed. She sat up immediately and saw a man sitting in a chair across from her reading a book. She curled up against the wall, clutching the bed sheet to her body. “Who are you? Where am I?”

The man uncrossed his legs, placed a bookmark in the pages of the book and gently sat it down on a end table near the bed. “It's alright, Aurora. Calm down. I am the one that you came here to find.” The tone in his voice was soft and gentle, not at all like the illusion of the Shepherd that she had spoken to earlier, and there was a sense of peace that surrounded him. “We were supposed to meet days ago, but since you didn't arrive on time, I waited as long as I could before deciding to go out into the desert to find you. Do you know that your ship was terribly off course for it's destination? It took a lot of searching to find it. Thankfully, when I got there, I found you, still alive but unconscious and brought you here. Not exactly the way that I wanted our first meeting to go, but at least you're here now.”

Relaxing a little, Aurora sank back down to the bed. “I tried to find the coordinates you sent me, but the storm, it messed everything up. I guess it was dumb luck that I found my way back to the wreckage. Thank you, for going to look for me. I'd be dead now if it weren't for you.” Biting her lip, Aurora decided not to tell the man about her vision of the Shepherd, she didn't want him to think she had completely lost her mind.

The man shrugged. “I should be thanking you, I know what you are sacrificing to be here and it means a lot.”

Aurora drew her knees up to her chest. The room was very cool in contrast to the days that she had spent outside in the unforgiving Prox heat and she shivered a bit. Her thoughts went to Dustin. “Do you know what happened to him... to Dustin?”

“No. I was hoping that you could tell me.”

Glancing over at a glass of water, Aurora gestured to it. “Can I have that?”

The man nodded. “Yes of course.” Grabbing the glass of ice water, he reached out and handed it to her. Aurora took it and gulped it down greedily.

“After the crash. I woke up first. Dustin was unconscious. He wasn't hurt badly, just took a blow to the head. It gave me time to gather up my supplies and verify the coordinates to meet you at. The ship was leaking fuel. I could smell it seeping into everything. I knew that there would be an explosion, so I locked the door on my way out and sealed it with a code. He would be trapped inside when it caught on fire. I thought that it was the best way for him to go. I didn't want the Carnivores eating him, and I didn't want to do it myself.” Aurora watched the ice in her glass shift.

“Aurora. Bates is a murderer. He deserves to be punished. Just because he is working with New West doesn't make him above the law.”

“No it doesn't, but it hurts to know that I am just as bad as he is. He had feelings for me and I kept pushing him away. I plotted to get rid of him instead of just telling him to fuck off. I regret how I treated him.” Aurora handed the glass back to the man. “I don't even know if he's alive or dead now.”

Shifting slightly in his chair, the man raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“As I said, I locked him in the burning ship and left. I wandered around the desert for days looking for you, and ended up right back where I started. I entered the ship again... I don't know why, I guess I was just curious, and found the door open, and no body. Outside there were bloodstains in the sand. Something happened there. Dustin was a asshole, but he didn't deserve to get ripped apart by Carnivores like that. No one should die like that.”

Taking the glass from her, the man held it in his hands for a long time before speaking. “Aurora, you're still young yet, you've lived a sheltered life, you have a lot to learn about people. Bates... he was a bad person. I don't know how many times I can keep telling you that. You are free from him, from New West, everyone that held you down now. New West was going to kill you both with that crash; treat you like you were expendable and throw you away. Here, on Prox, with my help, none of that matters. You can live and grow, and find out who you are truly meant to be.” He looked directly at her, holding completely still in his gaze. “I think we both know that you're far more than just ordinary.”

Aurora looked away. “What's the price of this freedom?”

The man stood and picked his book up, holding it tightly in his hands, running his fingers over the cover. “You saw the Shepherd, didn't you?”

Startled by his question, Aurora struggled to maintain her composure. “I don't know what you are talking about.”

“Aurora, I am trying to help you here. Please don't lie to me, I need you to be truthful, please.”

Cornered by the man's question, and now feeling ashamed of the answer she blurted out in defense, Aurora slowly nodded her head. “Yes. He led me back to the wreckage when I was lost.”

The expression on the man's face turned to one of relief. “Don't be afraid of him. He's the reason why I am here too.” He took a long, deep breath. “Dustin Bates broke into my father's lab, trying to find his research notes about Prox. I happen to wander in and startle him. He shot me almost point blank, he murdered me in cold blood. I never had a chance to defend myself. So you see, in the end, everything we do comes back to us. The Shepherd came to me, as I lay dying, to take my soul away to the afterlife. I begged him to let me live, because I had a wife and a child, but there were other circumstances that prevented him from doing so.” Thomas Bell's voice dropped, and there was a hint of sadness in his tone. “I guess I accepted the fact that I was going to die, and grateful that the Shepherd remained with me until my last few moments... but as I felt the life leaving me, he lifted me into his arms and I could see that he was weeping. I didn't feel as though he was saddened by my death... it was something else, like he was losing a part of himself. I didn't understand why until I remembered that he said his powers were waning, and to give life to another, he had to take it from someone.” The hand in which Thomas was holding the book started to shake. “The Shepherd's last act was to bring me here to Prox and gave me life, but in doing so, it severely weakened him. He told me that I was needed here, and trusted me with something very precious.” Thomas reached for the door and opened it. He stepped out into the hall for a moment and called out. Soon the sound of small footsteps could be heard coming down the corridor. “The Shepherd went back to Earth, to die...” The door swung open and a small boy stepped inside. He had dark hair and all too familiar gray green eyes. Thomas smiled down at him and put a hand on his shoulder. “He left me his son, Ben.”

The little boy stood in the door way, looking at Aurora with shining eyes. She looked from him to Thomas. “The Shepherd... I felt him die. It was both beautiful and horrible at the same time. I didn't think he was real.”

“He is, and I know you're connected to him in some way.” Thomas said. “I want to find out what that is.”

Little Ben tugged on the hem of Thomas's shirt and he bent down, as the child whispered something in his ear. Thomas nodded and then the boy ran over to Aurora's bed and sat on the edge of it. He smiled at her and reached out, placing his hand alongside of her cheek. The pupil's of Aurora's lavender eyes contracted for a moment and a rush of warmth spread through her. She felt her sun scorched skin heal itself and become soft again. The severe dehydration her body was suffering from slowly reversed itself, leaving her completely healthy and back to normal. Little Ben drew his hand away and Aurora looked up to Thomas, startled. He smiled at her. “Have any doubt now?”

Aurora shook her head.

Thomas motioned for little Ben, and he rushed back to Thomas's side and then back out the door. “He's not the only child here. The Shepherd also brought others. He said that the children were in danger on Earth. This place used to be a F.E.C. Base, we have everything that we need here to survive for a very long time, and you can stay here with us... but I need your help with something in return.”

Standing up, Aurora joined Thomas at his side. “Thomas, you helped me to get away from New West, and opened my eyes to the unbelievable. Just tell me what you need done and I will do it.”

A look of seriousness fell across Thomas's smiling face. “There is another base on the other side of the desert. A man named Burnley lives there, and he has my son. I want you to go and get him for me.”


End file.
